


Joy

by Janamelie



Series: Back To Reality [3]
Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 03:44:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16568999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janamelie/pseuds/Janamelie
Summary: After the events of "Siliconia", Lister and Rimmer are in serious need of some AR fun.For the purposes of this fic, the crew never encountered the despair squid and the dystopian world of the hallucination is simply an AR game.  Everything else is as normal.





	Joy

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully the summary makes it clear that this isn't a direct sequel to "Longing" and "Despair" but as the theme is so similar I'm including it in this series. Call it a happier alternate take. :)

“Listy, I want to play it.”

“What, now? After what-”

“Because of that.”

“Look, man, are you sure the effects have completely worn off?”

“Yes, I’m sure. That’s why I want to play it. What happened yesterday - we didn’t have a choice. Now we do.” Rimmer’s voice was determined but his eyes were pleading.

Lister turned the idea over in his brain. On second thoughts, Rimmer wanting this made perfect sense - for him. For Lister, though?

He recalled how he had felt as his personality had been slowly submerged beneath the mech programming. The sensation had resembled nothing so much as desperately treading water until his energy had finally been exhausted and he had sunk beneath the waves. Yes, he had re-emerged but it had been a close-run thing. And it had been pure luck in the end. They could easily still have been there.

He nodded vigorously. “OK. But we’re doing the House.”

“And the Intro,” Rimmer shot back through his pleased smirk. 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

 

The game was a low-budget affair, but the designers had clearly used every pennycent as creatively as possible. Moody lighting, dark sets and well chosen music efficiently conveyed the grimy dystopia as the sample clips played.

“You ... are Colonel Sebastian Doyle. Section chief of CGI. Head of the Ministry of Alteration.”

“Remind me a little. What is it we do at the Ministry of Alteration?"

Lister shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He’d almost clapped straight back out of the game the first time this bit had played. He was never going to get used to it.

“You … change people, sir.” 

“In what way?”

He firmly tuned out the remaining dialogue and focussed on the way the cop was gazing at him - no, at Sebastian, he quickly amended. At the game’s default Colonel Doyle avatar, which couldn’t have looked less like him.

Those expressions though. And the accompanying body language...

_“But he looks nothing like you.”_

__“_ That’s the whole point, Listy.” _

__

Lister was suddenly seated on smooth tan leather in a chauffeur-driven limousine as it purred almost noiselessly through the night. He had an open briefcase beside him but all the documents inside were mercifully blank.

__

_“Why always the house? Why not the HQ?”_

_“Give it up, Rimmer. It’s the house or nothing, just like it’s the cop or nothing for you.”_

____ _ _

He looked down with satisfaction at Sebastian’s pinstriped charcoal sleeves, extravagant watch and glinting cufflinks. Standard rich git gear.

______

_“I’m not playing the Doyle default. What other choices are there?”_

_Rimmer had scrolled before coming to an abrupt halt. “Oh My God.”_

______ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

“See you tomorrow, sir.”

The front door closed seamlessly behind the chauffeur and there Lister was once more in Sebastian’s luxuriously appointed residence. The guy had pretty good taste for a f- No. He killed that train of thought by quickly moving over to the entrance hall’s full-length, ornately gold-framed mirror.            

Smeg, he looked good. His mid-twenties self would probably have blown a raspberry at the bespoke tailored suit it was currently wearing, but what did that kid know anyway? If the goit hadn’t sold his genome in the first place, his avatar wouldn’t be a customisable option in this game. If anyone was entitled to use it...             

He released his hair from its clip and combed the already smooth waves to a silken sheen, marvelling at his younger self.

______ _ _ _ _

_______“______ You were so pretty, Listy. It nearly drove me mad.”      _

_______“______ You sayin’ I’m not pretty now?” he’d tossed back lightly.      _

_“There’s an age limit on “pretty”. You’re … distinguished now.”_

_______“______ Nice way of calling me an old git. Ta for that.” He’d cut short Rimmer’s protestations with a teasing kiss. _

________ _ _ _ _ _ _

The buzz of the intercom cut short his reverie. He quickly refastened his ponytail and assumed his haughty character. “Colonel Doyle speaking.”             

“Officer Hunter speaking, sir. M - my apologies for disturbing you at this late hour.”

“Get to the point, man.” He put as much brusqueness in his voice as he could muster.      

“I have your brother, Mr William Doyle, in the car with me, sir. I’m afraid I was obliged to - to arrest him for drunk and disorderly conduct.”      

“Is he conscious?"      

“No, sir.”            

“Has he vomited?”       

“Yes, sir. Extensively, sir.” Lister suppressed a giggle as the cop’s deferential tone was briefly infused with a very familiar fastidious disgust.              

“Very well. Bring him inside.”

 

 

Upstairs in a guest room, he carefully transferred the unconscious man from a wheelchair onto the bed and left him lying on his side with a towel beneath his chin and a large pitcher of water nearby. He suspected the reasoning behind giving Doyle an alcoholic half-brother had been to facilitate blackmail plotlines, but any chance he could get to give some humanity to the character he was reluctantly playing and bolster his private “He’s just a rich businessman with a reputation to protect” storyline, he was going to take.

 

 

When he re-emerged from the lift Hunter was still waiting there as ordered, having apparently not moved in Lister’s - no, Doyle’s - absence. At his approach, the man drew his heels together with a click which the yawningly grand hall magnified out of all proportion as he fixed his eyes on the intricate mosaic patterns in the marble floor.      

“At ease, Officer.”            

“Yes, Voter Colonel.”          

There was no doubt this character was attractive in an unnerving way, but it wasn’t just the striking blue eyes which sent a shiver through him. Everything the man was thinking registered plainly on his features. Lister would have blushed if half the blood in his body hadn’t already been rushing southwards.      

“Thank you for your prompt action, Hunter. He will be well taken care of. I trust this is the end of the matter.”             

The cop blinked confusedly and for a moment he glimpsed Rimmer within. “Ah, the charges. Naturally they will be dropped, sir.”           

“I’m glad you’re a reasonable man, Hunter. I will put in a good word with your superiors.”          

“F- forgive me, Voter Colonel, but I was simply doing my duty.”     

“Oh come now, Officer. Everyone wants something. I could ensure your career with the stroke of a pen. If you don’t want that…” He eyed the man meaningfully.              

“I … I fear my wish will gravely offend you, sir.”           

“I’m not easily offended. Out with it.” Enough faffing, his cock screamed at him.

“I … I desire to bring you pleasure, Voter Colonel.” Hunter’s gaze travelled down Lister’s body and lingered at his groin. “May I have that unparalleled honour, sir?”            

“I … see.” In the circumstances, he thought he did a pretty good job of feigning mild surprise as a new idea popped into his head. He walked over to the nearest wall with a clear view of the mirror and leaned nonchalantly against it. “You may.”       

For a moment he thought he’d gone too far as those blue eyes widened, but Hunter was in front of him in an instant. He winced instinctively as the man fell to his knees on the hard marble, but Rimmer’s libido was clearly overriding his pain receptors right now.              

“Thank you, Voter Colonel.” Again he saw a glimpse of hazel briefly overtake the blue as Hunter smiled up at him. He ran his hands through the ebony hair as reverent fingers fumbled at his crotch until the pinstriped black trousers slipped silently to the ground.       

He gasped almost soundlessly as a hand rubbed his bulging silk boxers before they too dropped around his ankles. Remembering the mirror, he watched in fascination as his younger self reacted to the tongue which began to caress his cock.             

Surreal. The word echoed repeatedly in his brain until it shut down in response to the intense pleasure as Hunter - no, Rimmer - took him into his mouth. Lister’s lips suddenly formed a perfect “O” of surprise as his full length disappeared down Rimmer’s throat. Any attempt he might still have made to keep up the facade flew out of the window. He clutched desperately at the arm of the chair he’d retained enough sense to stand next to and dug his nails into the leather as Rimmer drew groan after undignified groan from him until he bucked and came in a heady rush.

Panting as he slowly came back to himself, he braced himself against the wall as Hunter pulled off, his eyes shining.              

The sight of the deep scratches in the chair arm reactivated Lister’s brain. Unsure if Rimmer had come or not, he scrambled foggily to get back into character.      

“Is … is your desire satisfied, Hunter?”                   

The smirk as the man wiped his mouth was pure Rimmer. “Yes, Voter Colonel.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to LordValeryMimes for being an invaluable source of inspiration: "Oh god. Maybe… maybe it’s a kinky AR game that Rimmer and Lister play together. Lister’s character looks basically the same as him but with different hair, just because he thought long straight hair would be “fun”. But Rimmer HATES how he looks, and probably wouldn’t want to look anything like he normally does, so naturally his in-game avatar is COMPLETELY different from his real-life looks. Maybe the blue-eyed cop is how Rimmer WISHES he looked and Lister humors him because it’s just a bit of fun?"


End file.
